Scientists discover new drug that REVERSES autism symptoms with just one dose

Drugs used to treat seizures could reverse common signs of autism, a new study suggests.

Researchers from Stanford Medicine studied mouse models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which affects one in 31 US children and has seen a startling rise since the early 2000s.

The team identified the reticular thalamic nucleus (RT), a part of the brain's thalamus structure that is responsible for processing sensory information.

Giving the mice Z944, also known as ulixacaltamide, suppressed this area of the brain, stopping the autistic symptoms.

Z944 is a drug being studied as a potential treatment for the seizure disorder epilepsy.

They found giving mice the drug just one time reversed signs associated with autism, including increased sensitivity to light and sound, stimming, repetitive behaviors, social issues and increased risk of seizures.

The findings suggest the processes in the brain that control both epilepsy and autism may overlap, which explains why autistic people are more likely to suffer seizures.

It's thought that autistic people are up to 30 times more at risk of developing epilepsy than the general population, which could worsen cognitive function over time and cause speech and social regression.

The findings come as autism is on the rise in the US, up to one in 31 kids compared to one in 150 in the early 2000s.

Experts have largely blamed the increase on doctors getting better at diagnosing the condition and more attention being paid to previously overshadowed groups like girls and adults.

However, health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has launched a series of studies to pin down a definitive cause, suggesting pesticides, ultra-processed food and toxic metals could be to blame.

About 3million Americans, or one in 100, are diagnosed with epilepsy, a neurological disorder that causes frequent, unprovoked seizures due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

While one percent of Americans have epilepsy, nearly one in three autistic people have the condition.

It's thought that the two conditions could be related due to shared genetic mutations and similar abnormal brain activity.

In the new study, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, mice underwent EEG scans, which measure electrical activity in the brain, and behavioral tests.

They were genetically modified with mutations in their CNTNAP2 gene, which has been strongly linked to autism.

Mice with these mutations had overactive neurons in their reticular thalamic nucleus, thought to be caused by strong currents in T-type calcium channels inside the neurons.

Z944 is a T-type calcium channel antagonist, meaning it blocks these currents.

Mice with genetic mutations showed less interest in social interactions, more repetitive grooming and hyperactivity. They were also more prone to seizures.

However, mice who were given Z944 just once had decreases in repetitive behaviors and social isolation. They were also less hyperactive.

But when researchers modified the mice to have more activity in the reticular thalamic nucleus, the autistic behaviors returned. The findings suggest Z944 quiets this region by blocking T-type calcium channel activity.

The researchers noted Z944 could be used to treat both autism and epilepsy. However, the drug is not yet available for general use and is still undergoing clinical trials for epilepsy.

It's also unclear how these findings would translate to humans.

The researchers wrote: 'Future research should aim to elucidate how RT-mediated circuit dynamics throughout the brain influence the broader neurobehavioral landscape of ASD, paving the way for circuit-specific, precision interventions.'